Saturday, 8 March 2014

Queen Mary's 1554 pregnancy

Queen Mary Tudor married Prince Philip of Spain on July 15th 1554.

In the September of 1554, the court doctor told Queen Mary that she was pregnant. A Parliamentary Act was then passed which stated that if Queen Mary died in childbirth, Philip would act as Regent in England until the child reached the age of majority, however Philip would not be King of England.

At the end of April 1555, Lady Elizabeth was called to court in order to attend the imminent royal birth.

However, a letter written on the 25th April from Prince Philip to his brother-in-law Maximilian of Austria read;

"The queen's pregnancy turns out to not have been as certain as we thought"

On April 30th, false rumours were spread across England and Europe that the Queen had given birth to a son. However, there was no news from Hampton Court where the Queen was in confinement. Throughout the months of May and June, reports came from those inside Hampton Court, such as lady-in-waiting Susan Clarencieux, that the Queen no longer appeared pregnant. In June and July, Mary was said to be blaming her lack of child on the Protestant 'heretics' in her realm and that until she had rid her country of them, she would not be able to have a child.

In August 1555 Queen Mary came out of confinement, yet made no statement about the expected child.

Her husband Philip left England later that month and would not return for two years. Lady Elizabeth remained at court until October, appearing to be back in favour as the heir presumptive to the throne.

The following ballad was sung during the winter months of 1554, to celebrate the Queen's pregnancy being announced.